Classification: Confidential <snip> Keypunches persisted at University of Waterloo until the early 80s, not because the U was backward, but because ONE prof (not my dad!) insisted on using them. IIRC the I/O operators (remember them?) tried various stunts, like "accidentally" dropping his box of cards (only it wasn't really) in front of him and then stepping on them </snip>
A similar story at Hughes Aircraft up until the mid 90's. One (1) user insisted on use of punched cards. This is in pre-ficon days. Unfortunately, the data center did not have the cojones to charge the user. The day he retired, the project was initiated to remove the keypunches and disconnect the 2503(?) card/reader punch. In those days, the limit on bus/tag cables was 200 ft (cumulative). IIRC, that particular block multiplexer was running about 190 ft. De-installing the 2503 saved about 125 ft. -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On Behalf Of Phil Smith III Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 8:11 AM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Subject: Re: Kinda fun [CAUTION: This Email is from outside the Organization. Unless you trust the sender, Don't click links or open attachments as it may be a Phishing email, which can steal your Information and compromise your Computer.] Bob Bridges wrote about his history with keypunches. Mine started in 1965, when I was four. My dad was working on his first concordance, of Beowulf, and my mom was going to do the data entry of the text. (They'd met in the 50s when he was working for a CIA front doing translation and his typist quit. He told them, "I need a new typist, but don't give me anyone interesting", and when they brought her in, he thought, "Dammit, nobody listens to me around here!" Nine months later they were married.) So I got to play with a keypunch at a very young age, and then again starting in 1975 when I sat in on my dad's PL/C class at the University. I have fond memories of playing outside with a bag of chad (please, not "chads"-it was a mass noun for 50 years; the 2000 election instantly made it a count noun, but we old-timers don't have to put up with that). (Jeez, even Office thinks it should be "chads". Kids today.) Bob, your musing about communications parameters sounds like full/half duplex. As for the cost of cards-I bought a few boxes on eBay about a decade ago. Even then folks were often selling individual cards for several dollars. I still have a bunch. My dad always had them in his breast pocket for note cards. He'd also always heard that they were the same size as old U.S. bills, but in the pre-Internet era had no easy way to verify that. Until one day in the late 80s, walking in lower Manhattan, he passed a numismatic store that had an old $1 bill taped to the inside of the window. He instantly whipped out a card and held it up, and sure 'nuff, it was the same size, modulo the clipped corner, of course! Keypunches persisted at University of Waterloo until the early 80s, not because the U was backward, but because ONE prof (not my dad!) insisted on using them. IIRC the I/O operators (remember them?) tried various stunts, like "accidentally" dropping his box of cards (only it wasn't really) in front of him and then stepping on them as they went to pick them up. They finally managed to get approval to tell him HE would have to pay for the maintenance. That cured it. Don't miss https://www.masswerk.at/keypunch/ ! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ::DISCLAIMER:: ________________________________ The contents of this e-mail and any attachment(s) are confidential and intended for the named recipient(s) only. E-mail transmission is not guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or may contain viruses in transmission. The e mail and its contents (with or without referred errors) shall therefore not attach any liability on the originator or HCL or its affiliates. Views or opinions, if any, presented in this email are solely those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of HCL or its affiliates. Any form of reproduction, dissemination, copying, disclosure, modification, distribution and / or publication of this message without the prior written consent of authorized representative of HCL is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error please delete it and notify the sender immediately. Before opening any email and/or attachments, please check them for viruses and other defects. ________________________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
